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Vaisakhi in London: Vaisakhi on the Square |
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Date: 29 April 2007
Venue: Trafalgar Square
Audience characteristics: Sikh community, all Londoners
Live audience: circa 20,000 – 25,000 attendees
Description: The Trafalgar Square Vaisakhi celebration has two parts: a Sikh religious ceremony in the morning followed by the traditional serving of langar (holy food), leading into an afternoon of modern and traditional dancing, music and drama. |
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About Vaisakhi |
Vaisakhi, the Sikh New Year, is the holiest day of the calendar for over 20 million Sikhs worldwide. It is celebrated on 13 April each year. On this day in 1699, Sikhism was born as a collective faith. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Master of the Sikhs, initiated the Sikhs as the Khalsa or the pure and sincere. He bound the Sikhs to a strict code of conduct and, with unshorn hair, beard and turban, gave the Sikhs a distinct identity.
The celebration of Vaisakhi takes the form of continuous reading of the Sikh Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, over a period of three days. That is followed by the recitation of sacred hymns. The service ends with a final prayer for the good and well-being of the whole of humanity, and the serving of sacramental food.
The message of Vaisakhi has particular relevance today in multi-cultural and multi-faith Britain. Vaisakhi promotes friendship and mutual respect as the way forward. This is consistent with the command of Guru Gobind Singh Ji: “Consider the whole of humanity as one, we are all children of the One God.” |
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Disclaimer:
Please bear in mind that owners, managers and governments can change their arrangements at any time. Before you go out, we strongly advise you to phone and check opening times, dates of events and all other particulars. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this guide, the publishers at bolobolo cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain. |
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